Vermont Senate Votes to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

The Hill reports today[1] that the Vermont Senate has voted to approve the legalization of recreation marijuana for users over 21 years of age.

With its passage in the Senate, the law proceeds to the governor's desk where he is expected to sign.

While eight states (Alaska[2], California[3], Colorado[4], Maine[5], Massachusetts[6], Nevada[7], Oregon[8], and Washington[9]) have already legalized recreational marijuana, Vermont will be the first state to legalize via action of the state legislature. All other states that have legalized have done through statewide referenda or voter initiative.

Since 2012, when Colorado voters approved recreational marijuana, state-level voters have repeatedly shown indifference toward federal drug law — which, of course, is in violation of Article I of the Constitution, and the Tenth Amendment.

But now, for the first time, a state legislature and governor have joined the movement. This comes, we might note, mere weeks after US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced[10] he plans to ratchet up the Drug War against marijuana users.